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rabiyar7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved Dali though!
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Stalking, and Gun violence
manasvini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The concept, the narrative, the cast of diverse characters and stories, the vivid and immersive descriptions of Istanbul
What I disliked:
The sheer amount of trauma, which almost started feeling like sensationalism, especially when accompanied with little to no reflection on it. (I wish I had read the trigger warnings before hand.) How much the first part slogged in comparison to the second and third parts.
It was a good read but does not make me motivated to read other works by Shafak.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug use, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Car accident, Cursing, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infertility, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Torture
homewithyou's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3.5 stars. i had to read this for my grsj lit class and i liked it a lot more than i thought it would, but i blame that on the five extensive academic circle-jerk papers my prof made us read on a foucault theory the week before. it was also harder to read than i thought it would be. some of the themes are heavy and dark given the nature of the story and what shafak seeks to navigate, but the content itself wasn't particularly explicit. surprisingly, i think i had a harder time reading the ending of the book instead of the more graphic events that occur earlier on. maybe it's the reality of death that i'm familiar with. reading about collective mourning in the aftermath of a death and feeling it as my own, rather than the disconnect that happens when reading about the act of dying and death itself. idk! i'm gonna stare at a wall for a while though!
overall, i liked it a lot. the characters and imagery in this novel are so vivid, and is clearly a loving observation of a complicated city with complicated people and an even more complicated history.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Misogyny, and Sexism